You’d think just all that would have made for fabulous photo opportunities, but there was even more: Sandra’s parents’ home in Lockport was an absolute goldmine for shooting.  From the room full of antiques, to her mother’s mini hairstyling salon, to the sheds full of heavy equipment, to the vast flower gardens in full bloom… I was like a kid in a candy store!  On the way to the reception in the wedding party RV, we even stopped along the way to do some big prairie sky shots in a field with this fabulous old farmstead.  Such a rich wedding and so many great photos.  Congrats again to Sandra & Steve!  Here is just a tiny sample of some of the many, many great images from the day:

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Again, the great thing about shooting on-location at someone’s home is being able to capture some of the details and context of their lives.  Some of my favorite shots included the rocking horse that Evelyn’s father had hand-built for his grandchildren.  Another whimsical favorite: the newborn baby unintentionally striking a kung fu attack pose.  A quick handful from the session:

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You’d think the first session would be all about the belly, but their two little daughters – Becca and Bella – had different ideas.  Bursting at the seams with energy, ideas, and just awesomely crazy hair, it was hard not to make them the stars of the show!  But we did get manage to get some pics of the belly, and even squeezed DJ in for a shot or two.

It wasn’t long thereafter when news came that the Seales had welcomed a little boy – Andrei – into their family.  Within a week, we went back into the studio so that we could catch Andrei while he was still in the “brand new baby” phase.  Brand new baby he might have been, but this little guy was unreal – lifting his head and looking around like he was already a 2 month old.  Both DJ and Erica are avid volleyball players, and naturally wanted a shot of the little guy with a ball.  But his strength of neck + his strength of will made it super difficult to get the shot, as he kept pushing himself or the ball away (ironically, he had no qualms about hanging about with a football though…).

Between the fun shots with the girls, to the cool maternity and newborn shots with DJ, Erica, and Andrei, it was a tremendously enjoyable shoot.  It was also neat to witness/be part of what sometimes feel like the overnight transition from big belly to little, new baby.  Congrats to the Seales family!  Only a handful of many, many shots I liked:

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While it may have been a sleepy and quiet morning outside, it was anything but when I arrived at Misty Lake Lodge where the couple was getting ready.  I was thoroughly impressed at the number of wedding attendants that were buzzing about in each condo!  It was a hub-bub of activity as they were getting themselves ready amidst a flurry of food, hairstylists, and little ones running around – not to mention Kendra and Dave’s two little boys at the centre of all the action.  Then it was a quick jaunt over to Camp Morton, where a really nice and heartfelt ceremony took place under a picture-perfect backdrop overlooking Lake Winnipeg. Despite all this, Kendra and Dave’s little boys again threatened to steal the show with some very cute and amusing little antics during the service.

The portrait session was a treat – between the fields, beaches, and flower gardens, there was no shortage of great picture opportunities.  We even capped off the day with a quick stop at this great little heritage village in Arborg.  So many great places to shoot!  Congrats Kendra & Dave!  Here’s a sneak peek into the day:

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Like most babies his age, Rayan was extremely tactile.  It was fun just watching his extreme fascination with the red wicker stools and the fuzzy orange chairs that we have in the studio.  I’m sure they look better than they taste, but he didn’t seem to mind their flavors either way.  Between the furniture and his chewy giraffe, he couldn’t be bothered with the green stuffed animal/monster that his parents have been using as the unofficial “reference chart” for his size.  Another thing I thoroughly enjoyed was this little lick of his hair that would casually flip up during the shoot (I still find it hard to believe that Rayan was apparently one of the “balder” babies in the family).

It was great working with Michelle and Deepak again, and if they stay true to the patterns in their families, I can’t help but wonder if Rayan will soon have a sibling in the family portraits…?    But before we jump ahead of ourselves, let’s share some pictures from this session:

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Since they knew ahead of time they wanted baby pictures, we planned to do the session while Jasper was still very newborn.  With my wife being Caucasian and myself being Chinese, I always have a personal interest in seeing what other mixed babies look like.  Right away I noticed that Jasper seemed to favor a more Asian look than my kids did at birth. And I’d forgotten how peely newborn skin could be!

With a huge bank of soft window light and this great big green circular couch at my disposal, their house was pretty much a perfect setting for taking pictures. We managed to get some really nice shots with mom, dad, and grandma, although poor little Jasper had his nap interrupted a couple of times by all the transferring between arms holding him.  I certainly appreciated Julie and Devin accommodating all my requests to jostle the baby back and forth – I just hope they didn’t pay the price later on with a cranky and sleepless baby!  Hopefully the pics were worth it:

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We started Saturday bright and early at the Fairmont (though not as early as Anjali who was up with the sun at 4am!).  Under a light sprinkle of rain, the groom’s procession with Arun on his horse made its way to the hotel, where first the Sikh and then the Hindu ceremonies went off without a hitch (other than a brief moment when I wondered if the ominous buzzing of the fire alarm – caused by the smoke from the ceremonial fire – was going to be followed by a cold shower from the sprinklers). Then we had a nice long portrait session, ending Saturday at the Legislative Building and starting Sunday at Red River College.  Just as they were on their engagement session, Anjali and Arun were wonderfully patient and so friendly and easy to work with during the shoots.  We got a ton of nice shots through both days – it’s going to take me awhile to go through so many!  But here is a sneak peek at some of my faves from the weekend.

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